vis inertiae
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word vis inertiae. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word vis inertiae, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say vis inertiae in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word vis inertiae you have here. The definition of the word vis inertiae will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofvis inertiae, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Latin.
Noun
vis inertiae (uncountable)
- The natural resistance of matter to any force acting on it.
- 1726, Isaac Newton, translated by Andrew Motte, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, published 1729:
- A body, from the inactivity of matter, is not without difficulty put out of its state of rest or motion. Upon which account, this Vis insita may, by a most significant name, be called Vis inertiæ or Force of Inactivity.
- 1791, James Boswell, Life of Johnson, Oxford, published 2008, page 850:
- I would have something that can dissipate the vis inertiæ and give elasticity to the muscles.
- (by extension) Inactivity; apathy.
- 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle , volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., , →OCLC:
- [H]er admonitions, tho' they were powerful enough to convince, would have been insufficient to overcome the languor and vis inertiæ of her brother, had she not reinforced her arguments, by calling in question the credit of two or three merchants, with whom he was embarked in trade.